Art emerges from tragedy in Playwrite’s debut album full of heavy emotion. It isn’t unusual for tragedies to inspire art, and much of Cathedrals deals with the death of guitarist Patrick Holcombe’s parents during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. With such a significant origin, it’s no wonder the album they’ve delivered is an incredibly powerful listen.
From beginning to the end, the record resembles the feel of a mind in chaos. Psychedelic sounds push and pull the music in different directions all at once, before dropping away for moments of intense clarity as Jordan White’s vocals cut through, true and clear. This works to startling effect on songs like Driver’s Seat, Whittaker and Rivers.
The difficulty with this album is that the raw emotion could well be too much for some. In the same way you wouldn’t watch a documentary on Auschwitz unless you were in a serious mood, you can’t casually listen to these songs else their beauty escapes you. Even if you listened to Cathedrals without having any knowledge of Playwrite or Holcombe’s personal grief, the record is so tragic that the enjoyment is surmounted by a sense of seriousness.
But while Cathedrals may not be a casual listen, it is an immensely captivating one that captures the beauty that can come from a terrible personal tragedy.
BY DANIEL PRIOR
